Gillibrand Campaign Press Release - I Support Kirsten Gillibrand Because We Need a President Who's Brave

By Anne Ketterer
Co-Chair, NH Democratic Women's Caucus

For so many of us, the 2016 election felt like the floor coming out from under us, leaving us to tumble back down into a more sexist, racist, and hateful reality we thought we'd left behind.

But while the initial shock of Trump's election morphed to sadness, that sadness ultimately turned into a hardened motivation that propelled millions into action, working to bring about the change we were denied in 2016.

That was certainly my motivation when in 2017, I co-founded the New Hampshire Democratic Women's Caucus with the vision of creating a network to encourage women to be more engaged, provide clarity and knowledge from local expertise on today's pertinent issues, and make politics more approachable to all women, not just liberal activists. In doing so, I unwittingly yet proudly joined a groundswell of action that has gone on to change our political landscape for the better, thanks to the strong women who marched, ran, and won in historic numbers.

The 2020 election is our chance to continue the progress we've made by electing someone with the bravery, resolve, and integrity to undo the harm Trump has inflicted on our country, but more importantly, to move our country forward.

That person, without question, is Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, which is why I'm proud to endorse her in this primary.

Kirsten is tough. She's a fighter through and through and she gets results. She's shown this from her first Congressional race in 2006, where she took on an established GOP incumbent in a 2:1 Republican district and won — running on Medicare for All and ending the Iraq War no less.

That bravery and determination to fight for what was right extended throughout her time in public service. She's taken on the fights that no one else would, using her persistence and work ethic to help millions of American families, proving that if you want to get something done, just tell Kirsten it's impossible.

She stood up to her own party to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell because as she so often says: "Since when are civil rights ever convenient? You do it because it's the right thing to do."

She passed the 9/11 Zadroga Act unanimously through the Senate, even though it was considered dead on arrival. And then she got it renewed. And just this summer she made the fund permanent.

She has fought for reproductive rights throughout her career and has led the field on this issue during this primary, rolling out comprehensive policies and going to the frontlines of this fight with visits to Georgia and St. Louis to defend our access to reproductive care, including access to abortion. Kirsten understands these issues as vitally important and ones that have a serious impact on millions of families, not the niche, marginal issues that generations of politicians have pretended they are.

Her commitment to women is absolute in a way that's truly refreshing and inspiring. And it's clear that Kirsten is leading on the fights we can't afford to lose.

But beyond her skills and vision as a legislator, I've had the pleasure of meeting Kirsten on several occasions and in that time I've come to see her for the truly incredible and brave person she is.

Our president has to make thousands of tough decisions every single day and Kirsten's moral clarity will lend itself well in the Oval Office. She has the strength of character to do the right thing, even if it's hard and even if it means standing alone because that's who she is and that's what she's always done.

Donald Trump has seriously damaged our country, and he has pushed us to be more divided and fearful of one another. I know that Kirsten could be someone who unites us. She would remind us all that we are at our best when we are brave and when we stand together.

That's the kind of country I want to live in and that's why on Primary Day, I'll be proud to cast my ballot for Kirsten Gillibrand.